US20210310258A1 - Traction Synthetic Flooring Apparatus - Google Patents
Traction Synthetic Flooring Apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20210310258A1 US20210310258A1 US17/074,506 US202017074506A US2021310258A1 US 20210310258 A1 US20210310258 A1 US 20210310258A1 US 202017074506 A US202017074506 A US 202017074506A US 2021310258 A1 US2021310258 A1 US 2021310258A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- rib
- top surface
- tile
- rib members
- protrusion
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
Links
- 238000009408 flooring Methods 0.000 title claims description 19
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 11
- 238000001125 extrusion Methods 0.000 claims 6
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 64
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 18
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 14
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 11
- 238000005299 abrasion Methods 0.000 description 9
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 6
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 6
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 6
- 235000013361 beverage Nutrition 0.000 description 5
- 210000004243 sweat Anatomy 0.000 description 5
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000006870 function Effects 0.000 description 2
- 208000027418 Wounds and injury Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 230000006978 adaptation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000004075 alteration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000006378 damage Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000007812 deficiency Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 208000014674 injury Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 230000009191 jumping Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000314 lubricant Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229920001059 synthetic polymer Polymers 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F15/00—Flooring
- E04F15/02—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements
- E04F15/02172—Floor elements with an anti-skid main surface, other than with grooves
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F15/00—Flooring
- E04F15/02—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements
- E04F15/10—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements of other materials, e.g. fibrous or chipped materials, organic plastics, magnesite tiles, hardboard, or with a top layer of other materials
- E04F15/105—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements of other materials, e.g. fibrous or chipped materials, organic plastics, magnesite tiles, hardboard, or with a top layer of other materials of organic plastics with or without reinforcements or filling materials
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F2201/00—Joining sheets or plates or panels
- E04F2201/01—Joining sheets, plates or panels with edges in abutting relationship
- E04F2201/0138—Joining sheets, plates or panels with edges in abutting relationship by moving the sheets, plates or panels perpendicular to the main plane
- E04F2201/0146—Joining sheets, plates or panels with edges in abutting relationship by moving the sheets, plates or panels perpendicular to the main plane with snap action of the edge connectors
Definitions
- the present technology relates to synthetic flooring and more particularly to devices and methods for improving traction characteristics of modular synthetic floor tiles.
- FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a portion of a synthetic modular floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology
- FIG. 2 is a top view of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology
- FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a portion of the floor tile of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of a portion of the floor tile of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a portion of the floor tile of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the floor tile of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of a portion of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology.
- FIG. 8 is a side view of the floor tile of FIG. 7 ;
- FIG. 9 is a side view of a floor tile similar to that of FIG. 7 ;
- FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of a portion of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology.
- FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of a portion of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology.
- FIG. 12 is a side view of the floor tile of FIG. 11 ;
- FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of a portion of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology.
- FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of a portion of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology.
- the present technology describes an improved modular floor tile having a top surface comprising a plurality of rib or structural members defining apertures or openings between the rib members.
- Openings refers to holes, gaps, or spaces through which a fluid or other object may pass.
- a support system is integrally formed from and disposed at least partially beneath the top surface.
- a rib protrusion extends upward from a lower rib or structural member within the aperture. The rib protrusion extends through the aperture or opening toward the top surface, and may terminate slightly below, at, or above the top surface to provide improved traction and abrasion characteristics, as described herein.
- the tile 100 comprises a top surface 101 with a plurality of intersecting rib members 103 defining apertures 104 .
- the top surface 101 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference to FIGS. 2-6 .
- Rib members 103 are interconnected by additional rib members 109 disposed beneath the upper rib members 103 .
- the upper rib members 103 form the contact surface on which a user treads.
- the lower rib members 109 are disposed beneath the upper rib members 103 and traverse the aperture 104 defined by the upper rib members 103 .
- the lower rib members 109 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within the aperture 104 .
- a lower rib member 109 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface of upper rib members 103 , water has a tendency to become entrained within the aperture 104 .
- the curvilinear or saddle shape of the lower rib 109 advantageously improves liquid drainage, including water, rain, dew, sweat and spilled beverages, through the apertures 104 . It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of the aperture 104 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in the aperture 104 .
- the lower rib member 109 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over the lower rib 109 .
- the lower rib member 109 need not form a downward trending shape, but may be planar and form any shape consistent with the technology described herein.
- the lower rib member is attached only to the upper rib members 103 and not configured to contact a flooring surface below the modular floor tile.
- the lower rib member 109 is independent of the support surface below the upper rib members 103 , and is not attached to any support structure that contacts a flooring surface below the modular floor tile, nor does it include any structure itself which contacts a flooring surface below the modular floor tile.
- a single lower rib member 109 extends through each aperture, and is connected at each end of the lower rib member 109 to the upper rib members 103 or to the support system. In other words, no portion other than the extremities of the lower rib member 109 , or no portion of the lower rib member 109 within the cavity 104 , extends to the floor or is supported by another structure that extends to the floor.
- Tile 100 also comprises a rib protrusion 110 extending upward from the lower rib 109 through the aperture 104 toward the top surface 101 .
- Lower rib member 109 may be any shape that may support rib protrusion 110 .
- Rib protrusion 110 may extend past or above top surface 101 to engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction.
- rib protrusion 110 may extend 0.02 inches above top surface 101 .
- the height of the rib protrusion 110 may be adjusted to optimize the level of traction and the level of abrasion desired in a tile. For example, a user may find that a taller rib protrusion 110 provides greater traction while slightly increasing the amount of abrasion experiences by a user.
- a lower rib protrusion 110 may provide slightly less traction, but provide less abrasive characteristics.
- the optimum height of the rib protrusion 110 may be chosen for each desired application, and may be between 0.005 and 0.25 inches above top surface 101 . In other embodiments, rib protrusion 110 may be between 0.01 and 0.1 inches above top surface 101 .
- placement of rib protrusion 110 on lower rib member 109 allows flexing of the rib protrusion 110 upon contact with the shoe sole or the body of a user, and is therefore less abrasive than a protrusion fixedly attached to the top surface 101 of the tile 100 .
- Rib protrusion 110 may also terminate level with top surface 101 or below top surface 101 of tile 100 . In this manner, the engagement with the sole or shoe of a user occurs when the shoe or sole passes through aperture 104 a pre-determined distance. For example, in one aspect, it may be determined that additional traction is needed only when sufficient force is asserted by a user that the sole of a shoe of the user extends into the aperture at least 0.1 inches below the top surface 101 . Rib protrusion 110 may terminate 0.1 inches below the top surface 101 of the tile 100 to provide additional traction under such pre-determined load conditions.
- the rigidity of the rib protrusion 110 may be adjusted to achieve the desired level of traction.
- a rectangular blade may have a thickness of between 0.01 and 0.1 inches, and a length of between 0.2 and 0.6 inches, depending on the desired rigidity and corresponding traction.
- the rectangular blade is 0.06 inches thick and 0.335 inches long. It will be understood that other shapes or changes to the geometry of the blade or to other example rib protrusions as explained herein will be possible to provide the desired rigidity of the rib protrusion 110 .
- rib protrusion 110 may be rectangular blade following the direction of, or collinear with, the lower rib or saddle 109 across aperture 104 .
- a gap 111 may be formed between rib protrusion 110 and upper rib members 103 to continue to allow the advantageous liquid drainage through the apertures, as discussed above, as well as the multi-directional flexing of the rib protrusion 110 .
- a gap 111 may be formed between each end of the blade or rib protrusion 110 and the upper rib members 103 .
- the size of the gap 111 , and subsequently the size of the blade or rib protrusion 110 may be adjusted to provide an optimum balance between traction properties and liquid drainage properties of tile 100 .
- the gap 111 may be between 0.005 and 0.1 inches.
- a flooring component or modular flooring tile 200 is shown.
- the tile 200 comprises a top surface 201 and a plurality of side edge surfaces 202 defining a perimeter about the top surface 201 .
- the top surface 201 has a plurality of intersecting rib members 203 defining apertures 204 .
- the top surface 201 may comprise a continuous surface with no apertures as suits a particular application.
- a support system, including a plurality of post structures 205 is disposed at least partially beneath the top surface 201 .
- male and female coupling members 240 and 210 are disposed about the tile 200 and provide a locking system to couple adjacent tiles together.
- the female coupling member 210 comprises a protrusion 211 extending outward from a side edge 202 of the tile 200 .
- the protrusion 211 comprises a pass through opening 212 and outer semi-rigid side walls 213 that couple to the side edge 202 of the tile 200 .
- the outer semi-rigid side walls 213 of the protrusion 111 are joined together at a distal end 214 of the protrusion 211 to form a loop. It is understood, however, that any number of shapes (e.g., rectangle, triangle, etc.) may be used as suits a particular purpose.
- the protrusion 211 further comprises a flexible inner side wall 215 separated from the semi-rigid outer side wall 213 by apertures 216 to permit lateral flexing of the inner side wall 215 .
- semi-rigid refers to a construction that is not intended to flex as part of its normal operation.
- the outer sidewalls 213 of this aspect may be constructed of a synthetic polymer and hence may yield to an applied pressure, but they will typically not yield to pressure without suffering some plastic deformation.
- the term flexible as used herein refers to a construction that permits the referenced component to flex or move in one or more directions without suffering from plastic deformation.
- the protrusion 211 has a cut-way 217 disposed about the distal end 214 . This cut-away 217 portion facilitates drainage of fluid that may otherwise accumulate within the pass through opening 212 of the protrusion 211 .
- the inner side wall 215 is coupled to the tile 200 at side walls 202 and is coupled to the outer side wall 213 near a distal end 214 of the protrusion 211 , though the inner side wall 215 may couple to the outer side wall 213 at any number of locations as suits a particular design.
- a second protrusion 220 extends downward from the top surface 201 of the tile 200 and is configured to be disposed through the pass through opening 212 of the protrusion 211 within the inner flexible sidewalls 215 .
- the downward protrusion 220 comprises a plurality of walls 221 that form a U-shape, though other shapes (e.g., rectangular, triangular, curvilinear, etc.) may be used.
- An outwardly extending side tab 222 is disposed on the ends of each of the opposing walls 221 of the second protrusion 220 , said side tabs 222 have a bottom lip 223 configured to fit over a bottom edge of the flexible inner sidewalls 215 of the first protrusion 211 of an adjacent modular floor tile 100 .
- the side tabs 222 extend in a direction parallel to the flexing direction 217 of the flexible sidewalls 215 of the first protrusion 211 .
- the walls 221 of the second protrusion 220 are semi-rigid walls.
- An outer perimeter of the walls 221 of the second protrusion 220 are shaped to approximate an inner perimeter of the flexible sidewalls 215 of the first protrusion 211 (e.g., U-shaped, rectangular, triangular, or otherwise).
- the flexible inner sidewalls 215 together with the downward protrusion 220 improve the user's capacity to more easily lock adjoining tiles 200 together.
- the tile 200 further comprises an edge tab 230 that extends downward from and laterally outward from at least one of the plurality of edge surfaces 202 of the tile 200 .
- the edge tab 230 flexes in a direction that is normal to the flexing direction of the pair of flexible sidewalls 215 of the first protrusion 211 .
- the edge tab 230 has first and second side surfaces 231 , 232 .
- a first one 221 a of the pair of opposing walls 221 of the second protrusion 220 has an outside surface that is coplanar with the first side surface 231 of the edge tab 230 and a second one 221 b of the pair of opposing walls 221 of the second protrusion 220 has an outside surface that is coplanar with a second side surface 232 of the edge tab 230 .
- the second protrusion 220 is sized such that distance from the back side 226 of the protrusion 220 to the front side 234 of the edge tab 230 is longer than the longitudinal distance of the pass through opening 212 within the inner flexible side walls 215 .
- the second protrusion 220 is sized such that the distance from the outside edges of opposing side tabs 222 is greater than the width of the pass through opening 212 within the inner flexible side walls 215 .
- a top surface of the edge tab 230 and the side tabs 222 have a tapered surface.
- the edge tab 230 flexes inward and the flexible inner side walls 215 flex outward until the inner dimensions of the flexible inner side walls 215 and the outer dimension of the second or downward facing protrusion 220 are modified (i.e., placed in a biased state) to permit passage of the second protrusion 220 through the pass through opening 212 of the protrusion 211 .
- the edge tab 230 and the inner side walls 215 return to their original or unbiased condition. In that state, the lips 235 of the edge tab 230 fit beneath a bottom side edge 208 of the tile 200 and lips 227 of side tabs 222 fit beneath a bottom of the inner side walls 215 .
- the semi-rigid outer walls 213 have a width varying from 2 to 4 mm and the width of the flexible inner walls 215 vary from 0.5 to 2 mm.
- the space or aperture 216 between the outer wall 213 and flexible inner wall 215 varies from 0.5 to 4 mm.
- these dimensions are non-limiting examples and may be varied as suits a particular design application.
- the width of the flexible inner walls 215 may be varied to control the relative resistance to movement.
- the flexibility of the inner wall 215 may be increased to emphasize flexing of the female coupling member 210 (i.e., less flexing from the male member 240 ) or may be decreased to emphasize flexing of the male coupling member 240 .
- the top surface 201 of the tile 200 comprises a plurality of interconnected rib members 203 defining plurality of apertures 204 in the top surface 201 .
- the top surface 201 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts 205 that, in one aspect, are interconnected by additional rib members 209 disposed beneath the upper rib members 203 .
- the upper rib members 203 form the contact surface on which a user treads.
- the lower rib members 209 are disposed beneath the upper rib members 203 and traverse the aperture 204 defined by the upper rib members 203 .
- the lower rib members 209 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within the aperture 204 .
- a lower rib member 209 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface of upper rib members 203 , water has a tendency to become entrained within the aperture 204 .
- the curvilinear or saddle shape of the lower rib 209 advantageously improves water drainage through the apertures 204 . It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of the aperture 204 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in the aperture 204 .
- the lower rib member 209 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over the lower rib 209 .
- the tile 300 comprises a top surface 301 with a plurality of intersecting rib members 303 defining apertures 304 .
- the top surface 301 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference to FIGS. 2-6 .
- Rib members 303 are interconnected by additional rib members 309 disposed beneath the upper rib members 303 .
- the upper rib members 303 form the contact surface on which a user treads.
- the lower rib members 309 are disposed beneath the upper rib members 303 and traverse the aperture 304 defined by the upper rib members 303 .
- the lower rib members 309 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within the aperture 304 .
- a lower rib member 309 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface of upper rib members 303 , water has a tendency to become entrained within the aperture 304 .
- the curvilinear or saddle shape of the lower rib 309 advantageously improves liquid drainage, including water, rain, dew, sweat and spilled beverages, through the apertures 304 . It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of the aperture 304 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in the aperture 304 .
- the lower rib member 309 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over the lower rib 309 .
- the lower rib member 309 need not form a downward trending shape, but may be planar and form any shape consistent with the technology described herein.
- the lower rib member 309 connects at each end of the lower rib member 109 to the upper rib members 103 or to the support system.
- no portion other than the extremities of the lower rib member 109 , or no portion of the lower rib member 109 within the cavity 104 extends to the floor or is supported by another structure that extends to the floor.
- Tile 300 also comprises rib protrusions 310 extending from the lower rib 309 through the aperture 304 toward the top surface 301 .
- Rib protrusions 310 may extend past or above top surface 301 to engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction.
- rib protrusions 310 may extend 0.02 inches above top surface 101 .
- the height of the rib protrusions 310 may be adjusted to optimize the level of traction and the level of abrasion desired in a tile. For example, a user may find that taller rib protrusions 310 provide greater traction while slightly increasing the amount of abrasion experiences by a user.
- lower rib protrusions 310 may provide slightly less traction, but provide less abrasive characteristics.
- the optimum height of the rib protrusions 310 may be chosen for each desired application, and may be between 0.005 and 0.25 inches above top surface 301 . In other embodiments, rib protrusion 110 may be between 0.01 and 0.1 inches above top surface 301 .
- placement of rib protrusions 310 on lower rib member 309 allows flexing of the rib protrusion 310 upon contact with the shoe sole or the body of a user, and is therefore less abrasive than a protrusion fixedly attached to the top surface 301 of the tile 300 .
- rib protrusions 310 comprise outer posts 310 a and an inner post 110 b , comprising three posts. Outer posts 310 a and inner post 310 b align with lower rib or saddle 109 across aperture 104 .
- a gap 311 may be formed between outer and inner posts 310 a , 310 b , and between outer posts 310 a and upper rib members 303 to continue to allow the advantageous liquid drainage through the apertures, as discussed above, as well as the multi-directional flexing of the posts 310 a , 310 b .
- the size of the gap 311 may be adjusted to provide an optimum balance between traction properties, liquid drainage properties, and flexing properties of the posts 310 a , 310 b of tile 100 .
- Rib protrusion 310 may also terminate level with top surface 301 or below top surface 301 of tile 300 . In this manner, the engagement with the sole or shoe of a user occurs when the shoe or sole passes through aperture 304 a pre-determined distance. For example, in one aspect, it may be determined that additional traction is needed only when sufficient force is asserted by a user that the sole of a shoe of the user extends into the aperture at least 0.1 inches below the top surface 301 . Rib protrusion 310 may terminate 0.1 inches below the top surface 101 of the tile 300 to provide additional traction under such pre-determined load conditions.
- the rigidity of the rib protrusion 310 may be adjusted to achieve the desired level of traction.
- the outer and inner posts 310 a , 310 b may have a diameter of between 0.01 and 0.1 inches, depending on the desired rigidity and corresponding traction.
- each post is 0.06 inches in diameter. It will be understood that other shapes or changes to the geometry of the posts or to other example rib protrusions as explained herein will be possible to provide the desired rigidity of the rib protrusion 310 .
- outer posts 310 a and inner post 310 b may extend to the same height above top surface 301 .
- outer posts 310 a may extend a greater height above top surface 301 than inner posts 310 b .
- the different heights of outer and inner posts 310 a , 310 b account for the different pressure forces each may receive during use. For example, in some applications, if inner post 310 b protrudes the same height above top surface 301 as outer posts 310 a , inner post 310 b may absorb the great majority of the pressure forces during use. By decreasing the height of inner post 310 b , rib protrusions 310 may equally share applied loads. As discussed above, posts 310 a , 310 b of rib protrusions 310 may also terminate at or below the top surface 301 .
- the tile 400 comprises a top surface 401 with a plurality of intersecting rib members 403 defining apertures 404 .
- the top surface 401 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference to FIGS. 2-6 .
- Rib members 403 are interconnected by additional rib members 409 disposed beneath the upper rib members 403 .
- the upper rib members 403 form the contact surface on which a user treads.
- the lower rib members 409 are disposed beneath the upper rib members 403 and traverse the aperture 404 defined by the upper rib members 403 .
- the lower rib members 409 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within the aperture 404 .
- a lower rib member 409 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface of upper rib members 403 , water has a tendency to become entrained within the aperture 404 .
- the curvilinear or saddle shape of the lower rib 409 advantageously improves liquid drainage, including water, rain, dew, sweat and spilled beverages, through the apertures 404 . It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of the aperture 404 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in the aperture 404 .
- the lower rib member 409 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over the lower rib 409 .
- the lower rib member 409 need not form a downward trending shape, but may be planar and form any shape consistent with the technology described herein.
- Tile 400 also comprises a rib protrusion 410 extending from the lower rib 409 through the aperture 404 toward the top surface 401 .
- Rib protrusion 410 may extend past or above top surface 401 to engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction.
- rib protrusion 410 may extend 0.02 inches above top surface 401 .
- the height of the rib protrusion 410 may be adjusted to optimize the level of traction and the level of abrasion desired in a tile.
- Rib protrusion 410 may be single post disposed in the middle of the lower rib or saddle 409 across aperture 404 .
- Rib protrusion or post 410 may be tapered, such that the diameter is greater at the base of the post, or nearest the lower rib member 409 , than at the top of the post 410 , or nearest the top surface 401 .
- Rib protrusion 410 may also terminate level with top surface 401 or below top surface 401 of tile 400 . In this manner, the engagement with the sole or shoe of a user occurs when the shoe or sole passes through aperture 404 a pre-determined distance. For example, in one aspect, it may be determined that additional traction is needed only when sufficient force is asserted by a user that the sole of a shoe of the user extends into the aperture at least 0.1 inches below the top surface 301 . Rib protrusion 410 may terminate 0.1 inches below the top surface 401 of the tile 400 to provide additional traction under such pre-determined load conditions.
- the rigidity of the rib protrusion 310 may be adjusted to achieve the desired level of traction.
- the outer and inner posts 410 a , 410 b may have a diameter of between 0.01 and 0.1 inches, depending on the desired rigidity and corresponding traction.
- each post is 0.06 inches in diameter. It will be understood that other shapes or changes to the geometry of the posts or to other example rib protrusions as explained herein will be possible to provide the desired rigidity of the rib protrusion 310 .
- the tile 500 comprises a top surface 501 with a plurality of intersecting rib members 503 defining apertures 504 .
- the top surface 501 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference to FIGS. 2-6 .
- Rib members 503 are interconnected by additional rib members 509 disposed beneath the upper rib members 503 .
- the upper rib members 503 form the contact surface on which a user treads.
- the lower rib members 509 are disposed beneath the upper rib members 503 and traverse the aperture 504 defined by the upper rib members 503 .
- the lower rib members 509 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within the aperture 504 .
- a lower rib member 509 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface of upper rib members 503 , water has a tendency to become entrained within the aperture 504 .
- the curvilinear or saddle shape of the lower rib 509 advantageously improves liquid drainage, including water, rain, dew, sweat and spilled beverages, through the apertures 504 . It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of the aperture 504 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in the aperture 504 .
- the lower rib member 509 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over the lower rib 509 .
- the lower rib member 509 need not form a downward trending shape, but may be planar and form any shape consistent with the technology described herein.
- Tile 500 also comprises a rib protrusion 510 extending from the lower rib 509 through the aperture 504 toward the top surface 501 .
- Rib protrusion 510 may extend past or above top surface 501 to engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction.
- rib protrusion 510 may extend 0.02 inches above top surface 501 .
- the height of the rib protrusion 510 may be adjusted to optimize the level of traction and the level of abrasion desired in a tile.
- Rib protrusion 510 may be single post without a taper, disposed in the middle of the lower rib or saddle 509 across aperture 504 .
- Post 510 may include a radius top, or may include any other top surface geometry meant to optimize the traction and abrasion characteristics of tile 500 .
- Rib protrusion 510 may also terminate level with top surface 501 or below top surface 501 of tile 500 . In this manner, the engagement with the sole or shoe of a user occurs when the shoe or sole passes through aperture 504 a pre-determined distance. For example, in one aspect, it may be determined that additional traction is needed only when sufficient force is asserted by a user that the sole of a shoe of the user extends into the aperture at least 0.1 inches below the top surface 501 . Rib protrusion 310 may terminate 0.1 inches below the top surface 501 of the tile 500 to provide additional traction under such pre-determined load conditions.
- the rigidity of the rib protrusion 510 may be adjusted to achieve the desired level of traction.
- the post 510 may have a diameter of between 0.01 and 0.1 inches, depending on the desired rigidity and corresponding traction.
- each post is 0.06 inches in diameter. It will be understood that other shapes or changes to the geometry of the posts or to other example rib protrusions as explained herein will be possible to provide the desired rigidity of the rib protrusion 310 .
- the tile 600 comprises a top surface 601 with a plurality of intersecting rib members 603 defining apertures 604 .
- the top surface 601 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference to FIGS. 2-6 .
- Rib members 603 are interconnected by additional rib members 610 disposed above the rib members 603 .
- the rib members 603 form the contact surface on which a user treads.
- the additional rib members 610 or traction rib members, traverse the aperture 504 defined by the upper rib members 603 .
- the additional rib members 610 form an upward trending curvilinear shape above the aperture 604 .
- the additional rib member 610 extends past or above top surface 601 to engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction.
- rib member 610 may extend 0.02 inches above top surface 601 , or between 0.005 and 0.25 inches above top surface 601 .
- the height of the rib protrusion 610 may be adjusted to optimize the level of traction and the level of abrasion desired in a tile.
- the tile 700 comprises a top surface 701 with a plurality of intersecting rib members 703 defining apertures 704 .
- the top surface 701 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference to FIGS. 2-6 .
- Rib members 703 are interconnected by additional rib members 409 disposed beneath the upper rib members 703 .
- the upper rib members 503 form the contact surface on which a user treads.
- the lower rib members 709 are disposed beneath the upper rib members 703 and traverse the aperture 704 defined by the upper rib members 703 .
- the lower rib members 709 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within the aperture 704 .
- a lower rib member 709 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface of upper rib members 703 , water has a tendency to become entrained within the aperture 704 .
- the curvilinear or saddle shape of the lower rib 709 advantageously improves liquid drainage, including water, rain, dew, sweat and spilled beverages, through the apertures 704 . It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of the aperture 704 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in the aperture 704 .
- the lower rib member 709 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over the lower rib 709 .
- Tile 700 also comprises a cavities 720 extending into upper rib members 703 of the top surface 701 .
- Cavities 720 may engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction, and may also provide additional area for liquid to drain from top surface 701 .
- cavities 720 are hemispherical, closed holes.
- cavities 720 can be between 0.5 and 2 mm in diameter.
- cavities 720 form an air-tight seal when completely covered by the sole of a shoe of a user, the air-tight seal creating a suction force that aids traction.
- Cavities 720 may fill with liquid from top surface 701 , and may still provide the air-tight seal and suction force.
- the cavities 720 may include at least partial through holes, allowing liquid to drain from top surface 701 to below tile 700 .
- a method of improving the traction of a synthetic floor tile includes providing a tile having a top surface formed from upper rib members that intersect to form an aperture. The method further includes providing a traction member to protrude through the aperture above the top surface to provide traction, with the structure and corresponding advantages discussed herein.
- the term “preferably” is non-exclusive where it is intended to mean “preferably, but not limited to.” Any steps recited in any method or process claims may be executed in any order and are not limited to the order presented in the claims. Means-plus-function or step-plus-function limitations will only be employed where for a specific claim limitation all of the following conditions are present in that limitation: a) “means for” or “step for” is expressly recited; and b) a corresponding function is expressly recited. The structure, material or acts that support the means-plus-function are expressly recited in the description herein. Accordingly, the scope of the technology should be determined solely by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the descriptions and examples given above.
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Abstract
Description
- The present technology relates to synthetic flooring and more particularly to devices and methods for improving traction characteristics of modular synthetic floor tiles.
- Suspended flooring and modular floor tiles have been used for numerous years in connection with improved safety, appearance, and function. In recent years, synthetic modular flooring products have been used for these purposes and more frequently used in connection with sporting events. Many of these flooring products, however, offer little to no traction characteristics when wet, resulting in increased fatigue or injury from walking, running, jumping, or other activities on the flooring. Namely, while synthetic flooring has improved traction characteristics when dry, when any liquid forms on the surface of the synthetic flooring, the liquid acts as a lubricant between the plastic surface and the sole of the shoe, resulting in a loss of traction.
- Attempts have been made to improve the traction characteristics of synthetic flooring products. However, these devices contain deficiencies. It is therefore desirable to have a synthetic flooring product with improved traction characteristics.
- The present technology will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings merely depict exemplary aspects of the present technology, they are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. It will be readily appreciated that the components of the present technology, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Nonetheless, the technology will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a portion of a synthetic modular floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology; -
FIG. 2 is a top view of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology; -
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a portion of the floor tile ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of a portion of the floor tile ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a portion of the floor tile ofFIG. 2 ; and -
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the floor tile ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of a portion of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology; -
FIG. 8 is a side view of the floor tile ofFIG. 7 ; -
FIG. 9 is a side view of a floor tile similar to that ofFIG. 7 ; -
FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of a portion of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology; -
FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of a portion of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology; -
FIG. 12 is a side view of the floor tile ofFIG. 11 ; -
FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of a portion of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology; and -
FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of a portion of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology. - The following detailed description of exemplary aspects of the technology makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof and in which are shown, by way of illustration, exemplary aspects in which the technology may be practiced. While these exemplary aspects are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the technology, it should be understood that other aspects may be realized and that various changes to the technology may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present technology. Thus, the following more detailed description of the aspects of the present technology is not intended to limit the scope of the technology, as claimed, but is presented for purposes of illustration only and not limitation to describe the features and characteristics of the present technology and to sufficiently enable one skilled in the art to practice the technology. Accordingly, the scope of the present technology is to be defined solely by the appended claims.
- The following detailed description and exemplary aspects of the technology will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the elements and features of the technology are designated by numerals throughout.
- The present technology describes an improved modular floor tile having a top surface comprising a plurality of rib or structural members defining apertures or openings between the rib members. “Openings” refers to holes, gaps, or spaces through which a fluid or other object may pass. A support system is integrally formed from and disposed at least partially beneath the top surface. In one aspect of the technology, a rib protrusion extends upward from a lower rib or structural member within the aperture. The rib protrusion extends through the aperture or opening toward the top surface, and may terminate slightly below, at, or above the top surface to provide improved traction and abrasion characteristics, as described herein.
- With specific reference now to
FIG. 1 , a portion of a modular floor tile 100 is shown. The tile 100 comprises a top surface 101 with a plurality of intersectingrib members 103 definingapertures 104. The top surface 101 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference toFIGS. 2-6 .Rib members 103 are interconnected byadditional rib members 109 disposed beneath theupper rib members 103. Theupper rib members 103 form the contact surface on which a user treads. Thelower rib members 109 are disposed beneath theupper rib members 103 and traverse theaperture 104 defined by theupper rib members 103. Thelower rib members 109 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within theaperture 104. In an instance where alower rib member 109 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface ofupper rib members 103, water has a tendency to become entrained within theaperture 104. The curvilinear or saddle shape of thelower rib 109 advantageously improves liquid drainage, including water, rain, dew, sweat and spilled beverages, through theapertures 104. It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of theaperture 104 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in theaperture 104. In one aspect, thelower rib member 109 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over thelower rib 109. - In other aspects, the
lower rib member 109 need not form a downward trending shape, but may be planar and form any shape consistent with the technology described herein. The lower rib member is attached only to theupper rib members 103 and not configured to contact a flooring surface below the modular floor tile. For example, thelower rib member 109 is independent of the support surface below theupper rib members 103, and is not attached to any support structure that contacts a flooring surface below the modular floor tile, nor does it include any structure itself which contacts a flooring surface below the modular floor tile. In one aspect of the technology, a singlelower rib member 109 extends through each aperture, and is connected at each end of thelower rib member 109 to theupper rib members 103 or to the support system. In other words, no portion other than the extremities of thelower rib member 109, or no portion of thelower rib member 109 within thecavity 104, extends to the floor or is supported by another structure that extends to the floor. - Tile 100 also comprises a
rib protrusion 110 extending upward from thelower rib 109 through theaperture 104 toward the top surface 101.Lower rib member 109 may be any shape that may supportrib protrusion 110.Rib protrusion 110 may extend past or above top surface 101 to engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction. For example,rib protrusion 110 may extend 0.02 inches above top surface 101. In other examples, the height of therib protrusion 110 may be adjusted to optimize the level of traction and the level of abrasion desired in a tile. For example, a user may find that ataller rib protrusion 110 provides greater traction while slightly increasing the amount of abrasion experiences by a user. Similarly, alower rib protrusion 110 may provide slightly less traction, but provide less abrasive characteristics. The optimum height of therib protrusion 110 may be chosen for each desired application, and may be between 0.005 and 0.25 inches above top surface 101. In other embodiments,rib protrusion 110 may be between 0.01 and 0.1 inches above top surface 101. However, placement ofrib protrusion 110 onlower rib member 109 allows flexing of therib protrusion 110 upon contact with the shoe sole or the body of a user, and is therefore less abrasive than a protrusion fixedly attached to the top surface 101 of the tile 100. -
Rib protrusion 110 may also terminate level with top surface 101 or below top surface 101 of tile 100. In this manner, the engagement with the sole or shoe of a user occurs when the shoe or sole passes through aperture 104 a pre-determined distance. For example, in one aspect, it may be determined that additional traction is needed only when sufficient force is asserted by a user that the sole of a shoe of the user extends into the aperture at least 0.1 inches below the top surface 101.Rib protrusion 110 may terminate 0.1 inches below the top surface 101 of the tile 100 to provide additional traction under such pre-determined load conditions. - In other aspects of the technology, the rigidity of the
rib protrusion 110, or the degree to which it flexes in multiple directions based on its material composition and geometry, may be adjusted to achieve the desired level of traction. For example, a rectangular blade may have a thickness of between 0.01 and 0.1 inches, and a length of between 0.2 and 0.6 inches, depending on the desired rigidity and corresponding traction. In one example, the rectangular blade is 0.06 inches thick and 0.335 inches long. It will be understood that other shapes or changes to the geometry of the blade or to other example rib protrusions as explained herein will be possible to provide the desired rigidity of therib protrusion 110. - In one aspect of the technology,
rib protrusion 110 may be rectangular blade following the direction of, or collinear with, the lower rib or saddle 109 acrossaperture 104. A gap 111 may be formed betweenrib protrusion 110 andupper rib members 103 to continue to allow the advantageous liquid drainage through the apertures, as discussed above, as well as the multi-directional flexing of therib protrusion 110. In other words, a gap 111 may be formed between each end of the blade orrib protrusion 110 and theupper rib members 103. The size of the gap 111, and subsequently the size of the blade orrib protrusion 110, may be adjusted to provide an optimum balance between traction properties and liquid drainage properties of tile 100. For example, in one embodiment, the gap 111 may be between 0.005 and 0.1 inches. - With reference generally to
FIGS. 2-5 , in one aspect of the technology, a flooring component ormodular flooring tile 200 is shown. Thetile 200 comprises atop surface 201 and a plurality of side edge surfaces 202 defining a perimeter about thetop surface 201. Thetop surface 201 has a plurality of intersectingrib members 203 definingapertures 204. However, it is understood that in certain aspects of the technology, thetop surface 201 may comprise a continuous surface with no apertures as suits a particular application. A support system, including a plurality ofpost structures 205 is disposed at least partially beneath thetop surface 201. In one aspect of the technology, male andfemale coupling members tile 200 and provide a locking system to couple adjacent tiles together. In accordance with one aspect of the technology, thefemale coupling member 210 comprises aprotrusion 211 extending outward from aside edge 202 of thetile 200. Theprotrusion 211 comprises a pass throughopening 212 and outersemi-rigid side walls 213 that couple to theside edge 202 of thetile 200. In one aspect of the technology, the outersemi-rigid side walls 213 of the protrusion 111 are joined together at adistal end 214 of theprotrusion 211 to form a loop. It is understood, however, that any number of shapes (e.g., rectangle, triangle, etc.) may be used as suits a particular purpose. Theprotrusion 211 further comprises a flexibleinner side wall 215 separated from the semi-rigidouter side wall 213 byapertures 216 to permit lateral flexing of theinner side wall 215. The term semi-rigid as used herein refers to a construction that is not intended to flex as part of its normal operation. Theouter sidewalls 213 of this aspect may be constructed of a synthetic polymer and hence may yield to an applied pressure, but they will typically not yield to pressure without suffering some plastic deformation. The term flexible as used herein refers to a construction that permits the referenced component to flex or move in one or more directions without suffering from plastic deformation. In one aspect of the technology, theprotrusion 211 has a cut-way 217 disposed about thedistal end 214. This cut-away 217 portion facilitates drainage of fluid that may otherwise accumulate within the pass through opening 212 of theprotrusion 211. - In one aspect of the technology, the
inner side wall 215 is coupled to thetile 200 atside walls 202 and is coupled to theouter side wall 213 near adistal end 214 of theprotrusion 211, though theinner side wall 215 may couple to theouter side wall 213 at any number of locations as suits a particular design. Asecond protrusion 220 extends downward from thetop surface 201 of thetile 200 and is configured to be disposed through the pass through opening 212 of theprotrusion 211 within the innerflexible sidewalls 215. Thedownward protrusion 220 comprises a plurality ofwalls 221 that form a U-shape, though other shapes (e.g., rectangular, triangular, curvilinear, etc.) may be used. An outwardly extendingside tab 222 is disposed on the ends of each of the opposingwalls 221 of thesecond protrusion 220, saidside tabs 222 have a bottom lip 223 configured to fit over a bottom edge of the flexibleinner sidewalls 215 of thefirst protrusion 211 of an adjacent modular floor tile 100. Theside tabs 222 extend in a direction parallel to the flexingdirection 217 of theflexible sidewalls 215 of thefirst protrusion 211. In one aspect of the technology, thewalls 221 of thesecond protrusion 220 are semi-rigid walls. An outer perimeter of thewalls 221 of thesecond protrusion 220 are shaped to approximate an inner perimeter of theflexible sidewalls 215 of the first protrusion 211 (e.g., U-shaped, rectangular, triangular, or otherwise). The flexibleinner sidewalls 215 together with thedownward protrusion 220 improve the user's capacity to more easily lock adjoiningtiles 200 together. - In another aspect of the technology, the
tile 200 further comprises anedge tab 230 that extends downward from and laterally outward from at least one of the plurality of edge surfaces 202 of thetile 200. Theedge tab 230 flexes in a direction that is normal to the flexing direction of the pair offlexible sidewalls 215 of thefirst protrusion 211. Theedge tab 230 has first and second side surfaces 231, 232. A first one 221 a of the pair of opposingwalls 221 of thesecond protrusion 220 has an outside surface that is coplanar with thefirst side surface 231 of theedge tab 230 and a second one 221 b of the pair of opposingwalls 221 of thesecond protrusion 220 has an outside surface that is coplanar with asecond side surface 232 of theedge tab 230. Thesecond protrusion 220 is sized such that distance from theback side 226 of theprotrusion 220 to thefront side 234 of theedge tab 230 is longer than the longitudinal distance of the pass through opening 212 within the innerflexible side walls 215. Likewise, thesecond protrusion 220 is sized such that the distance from the outside edges of opposingside tabs 222 is greater than the width of the pass through opening 212 within the innerflexible side walls 215. A top surface of theedge tab 230 and theside tabs 222 have a tapered surface. In this manner, as the second or downward facingprotrusion 220 is placed within theopening 212 of thefirst protrusion 211, theedge tab 230 flexes inward and the flexibleinner side walls 215 flex outward until the inner dimensions of the flexibleinner side walls 215 and the outer dimension of the second or downward facingprotrusion 220 are modified (i.e., placed in a biased state) to permit passage of thesecond protrusion 220 through the pass through opening 212 of theprotrusion 211. After passing through the pass throughopening 212, theedge tab 230 and theinner side walls 215 return to their original or unbiased condition. In that state, thelips 235 of theedge tab 230 fit beneath abottom side edge 208 of thetile 200 and lips 227 ofside tabs 222 fit beneath a bottom of theinner side walls 215. - In accordance with one aspect of the technology, the semi-rigid
outer walls 213 have a width varying from 2 to 4 mm and the width of the flexibleinner walls 215 vary from 0.5 to 2 mm. The space oraperture 216 between theouter wall 213 and flexibleinner wall 215 varies from 0.5 to 4 mm. As with other dimensions provided herein, these dimensions are non-limiting examples and may be varied as suits a particular design application. For example, the width of the flexibleinner walls 215 may be varied to control the relative resistance to movement. In a scenario where themale coupling member 240 has a rigid, semi-rigid or flexible construction (see, e.g., the flexible plate arrangement of coupling member 140), the flexibility of theinner wall 215 may be increased to emphasize flexing of the female coupling member 210 (i.e., less flexing from the male member 240) or may be decreased to emphasize flexing of themale coupling member 240. - With reference to
FIGS. 5 and 6 , in accordance with one aspect of the technology, thetop surface 201 of thetile 200 comprises a plurality ofinterconnected rib members 203 defining plurality ofapertures 204 in thetop surface 201. Thetop surface 201 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts 205 that, in one aspect, are interconnected byadditional rib members 209 disposed beneath theupper rib members 203. Theupper rib members 203 form the contact surface on which a user treads. Thelower rib members 209 are disposed beneath theupper rib members 203 and traverse theaperture 204 defined by theupper rib members 203. Thelower rib members 209 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within theaperture 204. In an instance where alower rib member 209 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface ofupper rib members 203, water has a tendency to become entrained within theaperture 204. The curvilinear or saddle shape of thelower rib 209 advantageously improves water drainage through theapertures 204. It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of theaperture 204 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in theaperture 204. In one aspect, thelower rib member 209 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over thelower rib 209. - With reference now to
FIGS. 7-9 , a portion of amodular floor tile 300 is shown. Thetile 300 comprises atop surface 301 with a plurality of intersectingrib members 303 definingapertures 304. Thetop surface 301 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference toFIGS. 2-6 .Rib members 303 are interconnected byadditional rib members 309 disposed beneath theupper rib members 303. Theupper rib members 303 form the contact surface on which a user treads. Thelower rib members 309 are disposed beneath theupper rib members 303 and traverse theaperture 304 defined by theupper rib members 303. Thelower rib members 309 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within theaperture 304. In an instance where alower rib member 309 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface ofupper rib members 303, water has a tendency to become entrained within theaperture 304. The curvilinear or saddle shape of thelower rib 309 advantageously improves liquid drainage, including water, rain, dew, sweat and spilled beverages, through theapertures 304. It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of theaperture 304 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in theaperture 304. In one aspect, thelower rib member 309 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over thelower rib 309. In other aspects, thelower rib member 309 need not form a downward trending shape, but may be planar and form any shape consistent with the technology described herein. As described herein with reference toFIG. 1 , thelower rib member 309 connects at each end of thelower rib member 109 to theupper rib members 103 or to the support system. In an aspect of the technology, no portion other than the extremities of thelower rib member 109, or no portion of thelower rib member 109 within thecavity 104, extends to the floor or is supported by another structure that extends to the floor. -
Tile 300 also comprisesrib protrusions 310 extending from thelower rib 309 through theaperture 304 toward thetop surface 301.Rib protrusions 310 may extend past or abovetop surface 301 to engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction. For example,rib protrusions 310 may extend 0.02 inches above top surface 101. In other examples, the height of therib protrusions 310 may be adjusted to optimize the level of traction and the level of abrasion desired in a tile. For example, a user may find thattaller rib protrusions 310 provide greater traction while slightly increasing the amount of abrasion experiences by a user. Similarly,lower rib protrusions 310 may provide slightly less traction, but provide less abrasive characteristics. The optimum height of therib protrusions 310 may be chosen for each desired application, and may be between 0.005 and 0.25 inches abovetop surface 301. In other embodiments,rib protrusion 110 may be between 0.01 and 0.1 inches abovetop surface 301. However, placement ofrib protrusions 310 onlower rib member 309 allows flexing of therib protrusion 310 upon contact with the shoe sole or the body of a user, and is therefore less abrasive than a protrusion fixedly attached to thetop surface 301 of thetile 300. - In one aspect of the technology,
rib protrusions 310 compriseouter posts 310 a and aninner post 110 b, comprising three posts.Outer posts 310 a andinner post 310 b align with lower rib or saddle 109 acrossaperture 104. Agap 311 may be formed between outer andinner posts outer posts 310 a andupper rib members 303 to continue to allow the advantageous liquid drainage through the apertures, as discussed above, as well as the multi-directional flexing of theposts gap 311, and subsequently the size of the outer andinner posts posts -
Rib protrusion 310 may also terminate level withtop surface 301 or belowtop surface 301 oftile 300. In this manner, the engagement with the sole or shoe of a user occurs when the shoe or sole passes through aperture 304 a pre-determined distance. For example, in one aspect, it may be determined that additional traction is needed only when sufficient force is asserted by a user that the sole of a shoe of the user extends into the aperture at least 0.1 inches below thetop surface 301.Rib protrusion 310 may terminate 0.1 inches below the top surface 101 of thetile 300 to provide additional traction under such pre-determined load conditions. - In other aspects of the technology, the rigidity of the
rib protrusion 310, or the degree to which the plurality ofrib protrusions 310 flex based on their material composition and geometry, may be adjusted to achieve the desired level of traction. For example, the outer andinner posts rib protrusion 310. - As shown in
FIG. 8 ,outer posts 310 a andinner post 310 b may extend to the same height abovetop surface 301. In other embodiments, as shown inFIG. 9 ,outer posts 310 a may extend a greater height abovetop surface 301 thaninner posts 310 b. In some embodiments, the different heights of outer andinner posts inner post 310 b protrudes the same height abovetop surface 301 asouter posts 310 a,inner post 310 b may absorb the great majority of the pressure forces during use. By decreasing the height ofinner post 310 b,rib protrusions 310 may equally share applied loads. As discussed above,posts rib protrusions 310 may also terminate at or below thetop surface 301. - With reference to
FIG. 10 , a portion of amodular floor tile 400 is shown. Thetile 400 comprises atop surface 401 with a plurality of intersectingrib members 403 definingapertures 404. Thetop surface 401 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference toFIGS. 2-6 .Rib members 403 are interconnected byadditional rib members 409 disposed beneath theupper rib members 403. Theupper rib members 403 form the contact surface on which a user treads. Thelower rib members 409 are disposed beneath theupper rib members 403 and traverse theaperture 404 defined by theupper rib members 403. Thelower rib members 409 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within theaperture 404. In an instance where alower rib member 409 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface ofupper rib members 403, water has a tendency to become entrained within theaperture 404. The curvilinear or saddle shape of thelower rib 409 advantageously improves liquid drainage, including water, rain, dew, sweat and spilled beverages, through theapertures 404. It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of theaperture 404 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in theaperture 404. In one aspect, thelower rib member 409 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over thelower rib 409. In other aspects, thelower rib member 409 need not form a downward trending shape, but may be planar and form any shape consistent with the technology described herein. -
Tile 400 also comprises arib protrusion 410 extending from thelower rib 409 through theaperture 404 toward thetop surface 401.Rib protrusion 410 may extend past or abovetop surface 401 to engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction. For example,rib protrusion 410 may extend 0.02 inches abovetop surface 401. In other examples, the height of therib protrusion 410 may be adjusted to optimize the level of traction and the level of abrasion desired in a tile.Rib protrusion 410 may be single post disposed in the middle of the lower rib or saddle 409 acrossaperture 404. Rib protrusion or post 410 may be tapered, such that the diameter is greater at the base of the post, or nearest thelower rib member 409, than at the top of thepost 410, or nearest thetop surface 401. -
Rib protrusion 410 may also terminate level withtop surface 401 or belowtop surface 401 oftile 400. In this manner, the engagement with the sole or shoe of a user occurs when the shoe or sole passes through aperture 404 a pre-determined distance. For example, in one aspect, it may be determined that additional traction is needed only when sufficient force is asserted by a user that the sole of a shoe of the user extends into the aperture at least 0.1 inches below thetop surface 301.Rib protrusion 410 may terminate 0.1 inches below thetop surface 401 of thetile 400 to provide additional traction under such pre-determined load conditions. - In other aspects of the technology, the rigidity of the
rib protrusion 310, or the degree to which the plurality ofrib protrusions 410 flex based on their material composition and geometry, may be adjusted to achieve the desired level of traction. For example, the outer and inner posts 410 a, 410 b may have a diameter of between 0.01 and 0.1 inches, depending on the desired rigidity and corresponding traction. In one example, each post is 0.06 inches in diameter. It will be understood that other shapes or changes to the geometry of the posts or to other example rib protrusions as explained herein will be possible to provide the desired rigidity of therib protrusion 310. - With reference to
FIGS. 11-12 , a portion of amodular floor tile 500 is shown. Thetile 500 comprises atop surface 501 with a plurality of intersectingrib members 503 definingapertures 504. Thetop surface 501 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference toFIGS. 2-6 .Rib members 503 are interconnected byadditional rib members 509 disposed beneath theupper rib members 503. Theupper rib members 503 form the contact surface on which a user treads. Thelower rib members 509 are disposed beneath theupper rib members 503 and traverse theaperture 504 defined by theupper rib members 503. Thelower rib members 509 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within theaperture 504. In an instance where alower rib member 509 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface ofupper rib members 503, water has a tendency to become entrained within theaperture 504. The curvilinear or saddle shape of thelower rib 509 advantageously improves liquid drainage, including water, rain, dew, sweat and spilled beverages, through theapertures 504. It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of theaperture 504 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in theaperture 504. In one aspect, thelower rib member 509 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over thelower rib 509. In other aspects, thelower rib member 509 need not form a downward trending shape, but may be planar and form any shape consistent with the technology described herein. -
Tile 500 also comprises a rib protrusion 510 extending from thelower rib 509 through theaperture 504 toward thetop surface 501. Rib protrusion 510 may extend past or abovetop surface 501 to engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction. For example, rib protrusion 510 may extend 0.02 inches abovetop surface 501. In other examples, the height of the rib protrusion 510 may be adjusted to optimize the level of traction and the level of abrasion desired in a tile. Rib protrusion 510 may be single post without a taper, disposed in the middle of the lower rib or saddle 509 acrossaperture 504. Post 510 may include a radius top, or may include any other top surface geometry meant to optimize the traction and abrasion characteristics oftile 500. - Rib protrusion 510 may also terminate level with
top surface 501 or belowtop surface 501 oftile 500. In this manner, the engagement with the sole or shoe of a user occurs when the shoe or sole passes through aperture 504 a pre-determined distance. For example, in one aspect, it may be determined that additional traction is needed only when sufficient force is asserted by a user that the sole of a shoe of the user extends into the aperture at least 0.1 inches below thetop surface 501.Rib protrusion 310 may terminate 0.1 inches below thetop surface 501 of thetile 500 to provide additional traction under such pre-determined load conditions. - In other aspects of the technology, the rigidity of the rib protrusion 510, or the degree to which the plurality of rib protrusions 510 flex based on their material composition and geometry, may be adjusted to achieve the desired level of traction. For example, the post 510 may have a diameter of between 0.01 and 0.1 inches, depending on the desired rigidity and corresponding traction. In one example, each post is 0.06 inches in diameter. It will be understood that other shapes or changes to the geometry of the posts or to other example rib protrusions as explained herein will be possible to provide the desired rigidity of the
rib protrusion 310. - With reference to
FIG. 13 , a portion of a modular floor tile 600 is shown. The tile 600 comprises a top surface 601 with a plurality of intersecting rib members 603 defining apertures 604. The top surface 601 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference toFIGS. 2-6 . Rib members 603 are interconnected byadditional rib members 610 disposed above the rib members 603. The rib members 603 form the contact surface on which a user treads. Theadditional rib members 610, or traction rib members, traverse theaperture 504 defined by the upper rib members 603. Theadditional rib members 610 form an upward trending curvilinear shape above the aperture 604. Theadditional rib member 610 extends past or above top surface 601 to engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction. For example,rib member 610 may extend 0.02 inches above top surface 601, or between 0.005 and 0.25 inches above top surface 601. In other examples, the height of therib protrusion 610 may be adjusted to optimize the level of traction and the level of abrasion desired in a tile. - With reference to
FIG. 14 , a portion of amodular floor tile 700 according to aspects of the technology is shown. Thetile 700 comprises atop surface 701 with a plurality of intersectingrib members 703 defining apertures 704. Thetop surface 701 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference toFIGS. 2-6 .Rib members 703 are interconnected byadditional rib members 409 disposed beneath theupper rib members 703. Theupper rib members 503 form the contact surface on which a user treads. The lower rib members 709 are disposed beneath theupper rib members 703 and traverse the aperture 704 defined by theupper rib members 703. The lower rib members 709 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within the aperture 704. In an instance where a lower rib member 709 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface ofupper rib members 703, water has a tendency to become entrained within the aperture 704. The curvilinear or saddle shape of the lower rib 709 advantageously improves liquid drainage, including water, rain, dew, sweat and spilled beverages, through the apertures 704. It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of the aperture 704 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in the aperture 704. In one aspect, the lower rib member 709 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over the lower rib 709. -
Tile 700 also comprises acavities 720 extending intoupper rib members 703 of thetop surface 701.Cavities 720 may engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction, and may also provide additional area for liquid to drain fromtop surface 701. In one aspect of the technology,cavities 720 are hemispherical, closed holes. For example,cavities 720 can be between 0.5 and 2 mm in diameter. In this aspect,cavities 720 form an air-tight seal when completely covered by the sole of a shoe of a user, the air-tight seal creating a suction force that aids traction.Cavities 720 may fill with liquid fromtop surface 701, and may still provide the air-tight seal and suction force. In other aspects of the technology, thecavities 720 may include at least partial through holes, allowing liquid to drain fromtop surface 701 to belowtile 700. - In accordance with one aspect of the technology, a method of improving the traction of a synthetic floor tile is disclosed. The method includes providing a tile having a top surface formed from upper rib members that intersect to form an aperture. The method further includes providing a traction member to protrude through the aperture above the top surface to provide traction, with the structure and corresponding advantages discussed herein.
- The foregoing detailed description describes the technology with reference to specific exemplary aspects. However, it will be appreciated that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present technology as set forth in the appended claims. The detailed description and accompanying drawings are to be regarded as merely illustrative, rather than as restrictive, and all such modifications, combination of features, or changes, if any, are intended to fall within the scope of the present technology as described and set forth herein. In addition, while specific features are shown or described as used in connection with particular aspects of the technology, it is understood that different features may be combined and used with different aspects. By way of example only, the flexible plates 141 of one aspect may be used in connection with the
flexible side walls 215 of another aspect of the technology. Likewise, numerous features from various aspects of the technology described herein may be combined in any number of variations as suits a particular purpose. - More specifically, while illustrative exemplary aspects of the technology have been described herein, the present technology is not limited to these aspects, but includes any and all aspects having modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., of aspects across various embodiments), adaptations and/or alterations as would be appreciated by those in the art based on the foregoing detailed description. The limitations in the claims are to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to examples described in the foregoing detailed description or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive. For example, in the present disclosure, the term “preferably” is non-exclusive where it is intended to mean “preferably, but not limited to.” Any steps recited in any method or process claims may be executed in any order and are not limited to the order presented in the claims. Means-plus-function or step-plus-function limitations will only be employed where for a specific claim limitation all of the following conditions are present in that limitation: a) “means for” or “step for” is expressly recited; and b) a corresponding function is expressly recited. The structure, material or acts that support the means-plus-function are expressly recited in the description herein. Accordingly, the scope of the technology should be determined solely by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the descriptions and examples given above.
Claims (20)
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US17/074,506 US20210310258A1 (en) | 2019-10-18 | 2020-10-19 | Traction Synthetic Flooring Apparatus |
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US201962923055P | 2019-10-18 | 2019-10-18 | |
US17/074,506 US20210310258A1 (en) | 2019-10-18 | 2020-10-19 | Traction Synthetic Flooring Apparatus |
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US20210310258A1 true US20210310258A1 (en) | 2021-10-07 |
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US17/074,506 Pending US20210310258A1 (en) | 2019-10-18 | 2020-10-19 | Traction Synthetic Flooring Apparatus |
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US3909996A (en) * | 1974-12-12 | 1975-10-07 | Economics Lab | Modular floor mat |
US6061979A (en) * | 1997-09-30 | 2000-05-16 | Johannes; Nicholas J. | Inline skating sports floor |
US6451400B1 (en) * | 1997-09-10 | 2002-09-17 | Milliken Denmark A/S | Floor mat |
US8128311B2 (en) * | 2004-12-24 | 2012-03-06 | Chang-Sub Son | Grass protection mat and mat assembly having the same |
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US3648320A (en) * | 1970-09-04 | 1972-03-14 | George Carr Woolley | Door mat |
US3886620A (en) * | 1971-09-17 | 1975-06-03 | Harold Miller | Door or shoe mat |
US3909996A (en) * | 1974-12-12 | 1975-10-07 | Economics Lab | Modular floor mat |
US6451400B1 (en) * | 1997-09-10 | 2002-09-17 | Milliken Denmark A/S | Floor mat |
US6061979A (en) * | 1997-09-30 | 2000-05-16 | Johannes; Nicholas J. | Inline skating sports floor |
US8128311B2 (en) * | 2004-12-24 | 2012-03-06 | Chang-Sub Son | Grass protection mat and mat assembly having the same |
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